Marketing in dentistry--have we got it right?

Abstract

This article has been written jointly by Ingried Morris, a dentist, and Sheila Scott, a marketing consultant. Ingried discusses some of the reasons why her colleagues may reject the marketing approach to dentistry, while Sheila argues that many of these skepticisms are indeed good reasons to embrace the discipline wholeheartedly. We felt that the article posed many questions, often unspoken, that worry a number of the profession who find it difficult harmonizing their perception of a commercial technique--marketing--with treating their patients in a caring profession. The article then goes on to answer those questions and suggests that true marketing is indeed caring, and can only strengthen the quality of clinical care.